What Have You Found Helpful?

[oasis2003]

After years of straight line therapy by well meaning therapists who knew nothing about actually help...

What shamanism do you look at @KwanYingirl I am interested because I have been doing the inner smile meditation which roots from shamanism.

 

[KwanYingirl]

@Oasis I'm not sure. My Shaman is of Native American descent. I had to read two books by Sandra Ingerman "Shamic Journeying:a Beginners Guide" and "Soul Retrieval". I haven't come upon mention of an inner smile meditation, but I know she also has books on meditation. I'm learning to journey and practicing that. Ingerman is a practicing psychologist. Hope this is of some help to you.

 

[Zef]

How about another 'P'? Profane. . .finding the humor or absurdity in your abusive environment. My traumas were tightly tied with the religious community I was raised in. . .finding the Profane was a huge help in my survival.

 

[oasis2003]

Shamanism is an interest to me that is why I asked.@KwanYingirl .

 

[shimmerz]

North American shamanism has helped me as well Oasis. Don't know where I would have been without it. Algonquin tribe is the root of the healer I went to. Highly recommend it if it calls to you.

 

[oasis2003]

North American shamanism has helped me as well Oasis. Don't know where I would have been without it....

Thank you @shimmerz I shall look this up will it be online or where would be good to look?

 

[KwanYingirl]

@Oasis if you know someone in your area that does Reiki and/or crystal healing, they probably know a Shaman or two. They have a shared passion for the metaphysical realm. My Shaman said that it is the oldest belief system known to Man and even though oceans and mountains separated tribes of people thousands of years ago ( well, maybe not that long) the rituals and beliefs are incredibly similar among Indigenous people. Journeying has helped me so much and at some point she will help me with a soul retrieval. In Shamanism, it is believed that when a child experiences a trauma, the soul leaves their body in order to protect the child from the pain. Part of healing from trauma is reclaiming the soul. I've always known I had no soul. In one journey, the Indigenous man that journeys with me took me to a circle of other Indigenous folks that were moving to the beat of the drum. I was in the middle of the circle and I was fully present as the adult me and then suddenly I was a 4 year old sitting on the ground and I felt safe for the first time in my life. It was really powerful. My Shaman said that was a soul retrieval.

 

[joeylittle]

Re-opened on request

 

[ChildofGod]

Self care, self acceptance, self love, therapy, medication, exercise, watching what I eat and drink, exercise, being kind to myself, ect...reading books and articles, ect....

 

[Vero]

Being listened to. When I was struggling with anxiety just being able to tell someone how I'm feeling would calm me down.

 

[ChildofGod]

Telling some, part or all of my story to someone else. Not to get their reaction or anything else, just saying it and feeling safe enough to tell and feeling better each time that I do.

It is for my benefit.

 

[Sideways]

Now that I’m off it? Seroquel XR was doing an amazing job helping me keep my distress levels down.

Distress at low mood, distress about anxiety, distress about re-experiencing symptoms, distress about core beliefs, distress about awful thoughts (like SI). Pretty much distress from any angle.

I’m not a fan of pumping grams of antipsychotics into my body every week for the rest of my life, so now that I’m 10 years of therapy and learning coping skills, I’m hoping to stay off it. But man oh man, it was keeping that distress in check for me!